A special education teacher accused of sexually abusing two students at Northeast High School has been sentenced to five years in prison.
Karl Houston Walls, 27, pleaded guilty Dec. 15 in Anne Arundel Circuit Court to a fourth-degree sex offense — which, in Maryland law, involves someone in a position of authority at a public or private school — and sexually abusing a minor. He was sentenced the same day. Walls was set to go to trial Jan. 23, according to court records.
In addition to his prison sentence, Walls was ordered to register as a Tier III sex offender, a designation that remains with someone for the rest of their life.
In July, the special educator, who also served as an assistant coach for several school teams, turned himself in to county police after learning there was an active warrant for his arrest. School officials began investigating Walls in May after receiving reports of inappropriate relationships with students, one aged 16 and the other 17. Once the accusations were made, Walls was transferred from the high school to a school system building away from children.
According to charging documents, some of Walls’ actions took place on school grounds.
Though the school system was waiting for the legal proceedings to finish before making a determination on Walls’ employment, officials had begun the termination process, spokesperson Bob Mosier said Tuesday.
The majority of the 14 criminal charges levied against Walls were dismissed after his guilty plea, including second-degree rape, second-degree assault and the use of a dangerous weapon with the intent to injure.
Charging documents recount the experiences of two female students, who faced advances and aggression in person at the high school and off campus, as well as over the phone. In one incident, Walls was accused of holding a knife against one of the victims and asking if he should “use it.” Police reported the teacher coerced her into sending him sexually explicit photographs. Walls also traded alcohol for nude pictures, according to charging documents.
Walls was hired as a teacher’s assistant at Northeast in 2019 and served in that capacity over the next three school years. He was promoted this past school year to a special education co-teaching position, teaching science to both special education and non-special education students, Mosier said. Walls also acted as an assistant coach for several teams, including junior varsity football, boys lacrosse and unified bowling.
His defense attorney, Peter O’Neill, declined to comment on the case.
